Olivomycin A, other olivomycins and other antitumor antibiotics such as the chromycins and the mithramycins, all classed as the aureolic acid group, are characterized by the chromophore. The variation in structure of this class of antibiotics is a function of a trisaccharide linked as a glycoside to C2 and a disaccharide similarly attached to C6. We propose a convergent synthesis of the chromophore which will permit variation in the structure of the tricyclic aromatic portion of the molecule as well as that of the oxygenated side chain. Furthermore, we propose methods which will allow attachment of a variety of saccharides to the chromophore. Thus, a large group of antibiotics can be made available for assay of their antitumor activity.